'It's a laugh': Peter Siddle hits back at Harmison over Smith 'cheat' shot

Australian quick Peter Siddle has hit back at former England bowler Steve Harmison for his “cheat” jibe at Steve Smith after the mercurial batsman has been booed throughout the tour of Great Britain.

Smith has been booed and jeered throughout the World Cup and Ashes and even at Old Trafford, where Smith backed up an imposing 211 with a quick-fire 82 that represented his lowest score of the series.

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Harmison, who played 63 Tests - including all five games during the 2005 epic series - suggested it will be impossible for the run glutton to change anybody's opinion.

The former quick said Smith will always be remember as a “cheat” regardless of how many runs the future great scores.

"I don't think you can forgive him," Harmison told talkSPORT.

"When you're known as a cheat - and he is, I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the three guys cheated - that's on your CV.

"You're marked and you take it to your grave.

"Whatever Steve Smith does, he'll always be remembered for what happened in South Africa."

But Siddle has hit back at Harmison on SEN SA Breakfast calling him out for hypocrisy.

“It’s more of a laugh than anything because we know some stories about what has gone on in the past,” he said.

“A couple of his teammates from back then put out books since the ‘05 Ashes and talked about sugar-coating the cricket ball to get reverse swing in that series.

“That’s the irony in all that, that he actually used the word sugar-coat, when two of his teammates have talked about mints and different things to put on the ball. It actually comes back on him.”

Siddle said Smith has done all his talking with the bat this series after blasting 672 runs at an average of 134.20 across five innings.